Beach Treasures and Treasure Beaches

Today’s Featured Writer: Kristie McLin

I was in San Fransisco, California for an afternoon at the end of January this year before heading to Palo Alto for a conference. A colleague and I set off to explore, photograph, and enjoy the day.  I started with the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate State Park. When we met back up, we found we had a couple free hours left, so we decided to drive toward the Golden Gate Bridge. While we were at it, I suggested we find a beach, as my access to the ocean is very limited living in Salt Lake City. A quick search on my smartphone led us to China Beach. We easily found parking and walked to the trail head where we found this sign: 

The afternoon had been cloudy and cold, but the sun finally began to peek out from behind the clouds just as it was starting to set. We walked down the trail to the little beach below the cliffs and saw a stunning view of the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.

The view from China Beach. (photo by Kristie McLin)

The tide was coming in, and we wanted to push further up the coast to the bridge, but before we left, we saw a group of surfers entering the water.

Surfers heading out from China Beach. (photo by Kristie McLin)

How hard core (crazy) can you be, surfing in January with tiny waves on a rocky coast? We only spent a short time there, but it really left a lasting impression.  Next time I’m in the Bay Area, you’ll find me at China Beach!

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